SMCR 2007-2010
Organisers Alain & Alice smcr2011@gmail.com	The Journey is the Destination
GENTLEMEN DRIVERS (Many many more photos and text by google-ing the names below! ) The 50’s were a time of re-creation in Europe following the horrors of WWII. Enthusiasm, a vision of eternal progress and inflation together with a relatively low value for one individual’s life led to most exciting (and tragically dangerous) motorsports events. There were no advertisements on the cars and no TV broadcast, yet racing events, run with the public sitting right next to the track and drinking champagne, were immensely popular. The racers were basically rich kids and wealthy men, with a sense of pride and nobility, risking their lives by passion and often a great sense of patriotism. They enjoyed life on the fast lane, parties and good food. Championship points were secondary.
Maybe the most gentlemanly of all, Mike Hawthorn (F1 W.C. 1958) always wore a bow-tie at the start of Grand Prix
J.-M. Fangio and Froilan Gonzales Buenos-Aires 1951 Gentlemen Drivers: Fangio, Ascari Start of 1959 GP with several autographs, including from World Champion Jack Brabham, and “King without a crown” Stirling Moss. Brooks, here in the lead with the Ferrari, would win the race. Mille Miglia races involved barely modified basic factory (even three-wheeled!) cars together with extremely Porsche sports cars and marvelous prototypes	"Flat Out At Eau Rouge " Peter Collins, Lancia-Ferrari D50 Autor: Chris Phillips Stirling Moss Maserati 250F Monte-Carlo 1956 Monaco 1950, Fangio leads in the 1500 8L Compressor Alfa-Romeo Alfetta Le Mans 1955: Mike Hawthorn in the Jaguar D-type leads the race in front of Mercedes-Benz 300 of Fangio. This race would see the worst accident ever (70 deaths) Gentlemen drivers were also engaged in other motor racing events (where they risked their lives too..). Here Moss is at the Targa Florio 1955 which he won in his Mercedes 300 SLR